Pious

Initiation meet went well, we'll do it monthly. I'm working on a group plot too, get your heroes to 20+

Initiation meeting tonight at 8pm until 10pm, Galaxy Girl Park. Turn up when you can guys, and in uniform.

[u]A simple guide to plotting your very own story arc[u]

As roleplayers, we get to write and enjoy our own story arcs. But not many people do this, probably because they’re unsure how to start. So here is my attempt to help, a very brief template guide to plotting a story arc.

Beforehand: Participants

Once you have an idea for a plot, character-orientated, supergroup-orientated or community-orientated, tell people about it (via forums, handbook or global chat) and invite anyone who shows interest to play a part.

Step One: Catalyst

Try to be creative with your story from the very beginning. How does it all start, think about what causes the need for the heroes to respond. Rather like logging into the game to find your contact telling you the Circle of Thorns have kidnapped police officers again. You then take to the skies to rescue them. Likewise, you can initiate your own story arc with a note from your supergroup contact or a city newspaper article publishing a villain’s recent atrocities.

Step Two: Investigation

This part can be played out on a forum or other text-based systems, but in-game missioning or stand-around role-play is also good. Your heroes search the crime scene, police databases, etc. for useful information that might help them find and defeat the villain. They would probably meet up to gather collected information and plan their response.

Step Three: Response

Set up one or two appropriate in-game missions or Task Force to represent your response attacks. It’s good to engage in visually exciting, thrilling in-game action, but text-based or forum role-play is also good, especially to exaggerate your character’s actions beyond what the game engines can.

Step Four: Resolve

Typically, the next step is when your heroes find and defeat the villain. It is not good to over-stretch the story, keep it short and spicy. However, if you’re really clever, you can throw in a twist or two to entertain your plot participants. Afterwards, post a plot recap or publish a newspaper article applauding the heroics of your characters.

Step Five: Cliff-hanger

Right at the end of your story, you can actually link it with any other plot ideas you have lined up next. An ending scene with references to your next story will keep people intrigued.


[u]Sample Plot: This is a Template[u]

Meeting of the Lords

A group of political masterminds sit at a table, plotting the destruction of Paragon City. One of them proposes an ingenuous plan to tactically place high-powered explosives in the sewer networks. They send men disguised as sewer maintenance to position and install the explosives. However an honest maintenance crew witnesses the suspicious movements and informs their superiors. Word travels fast.

Militia Investigates

Word reaches two members of the Militia supergroup and they decide to look into it. Upon arriving in the sewer networks they find a number of high-explosives and immediately types in a report to the Militia leaders.

Containing the Blasts

A team of Militia heroes arrive at the sewers only to be attacked by the hostile creatures within. The false maintenance men finalise their installation and make a break for it. One of them is captured by the Militia but refuses to shutdown the explosives. Seconds away from nuclear disaster, the Militia must seek alternative methods to save the city. By superhuman ability, the team manages to gather all bombs in one area and shield the blast in a massive containment effort. The sole prisoner is telepathically invaded and links are made to a suspicious group of powerful influencers known as the Lords.

Night at Pocket D

The heroes retreat to the dimensional nightclub where they reflect on the day’s close-call. Incidentally, a known affiliate of the Lords gets compromised by the Militia telepath and is tricked into revealing vital information on the whereabouts of one of the Lords.

The Rogues Isles

The following day, the Militia calls a group meeting and the plans to infiltrate a vampire haven in the Rogue Isles are discussed. Within hours, the team stood unyielding, in the shadows of the Castle Bathory.




[Edit by GR: Thread title changed at Pious' request]

We can meet again this weekend and I'll fraps the fights this time. Kanto, Lord Darvek eventually lost the fight, and in the exact same way as Battle Unit Omega did, actually. Heh.

No clear victor indeed. I lost connection while recording, unfortunately.

Gladiators: Coile vs. Stormrise

I proudly release my first completed video of the cage fights. The Paragon City TV show is called Gladiators.

Gadiators: Cassandra Zero vs. Lord Darvek

Rapid Assault, Protection, Investigation, Evacuation and Rescue. These guys are above your average costumed vigilante out to make a citizen's arrest. These guys are gritty, military heroes, the best of the best, they work under extreme circumstances and always get the job done. They don't make arrests, they do special operations, assaulting the bad guys and putting them down where necessary, with such force that they stay down. They protect the victims, they investigate ill-operations, they evacuate endangered peoples, they rescue the troubled, they do as the United States government orders them to, always with a full and justified reason. The public are free to react to news and rumours of this team however they wish, but the fact are, they are not the bad guys, they do not muscle into other countries, planets or dimensions, without invitation. They are not our world's egomaniac military, these guys really are heroes, who are deployed in rapid response to the world's desperate cries for help. I hope that answers both your questions. Thank you for asking.

Current Roster:

D. Level 04 - Scrapp - Colonel Cypher
D. Level 04 - Scrapp - Bullet Man
D. Level 05 - Defend - Retcon
D. Level 06 - Peaceb - Star Tyger
D. Level 10 - Defend - Psi Unit
D. Level 10 - Tanker - Pious M
D. Level 10 - Blaste - Commander Omega Prime
D. Level 10 - Blaste - 777
D. Level 13 - Defend - Damsel H
D. Level 17 - Blaste - CPT Angel Maren

C. Level 23 - Peaceb - Pious G
C. Level 24 - Blaste - Pyro Raven
C. Level 28 - Blaste - Emily One
C. Level 28 - Blaste - Damsel B

B. Level 30 - Peaceb - Silver-Fox
B. Level 34 - Contro - Pious K
B. Level 34 - Blaste - Damsel A

A. Level 44 - Scrapp - Pious D
A. Level 50 - Blaste - Commander Beet

R. Level 50 - Contro - Pious A

Waiting for Invite

1. @Redsight (Nation, Psychic Blaster)
2. @Shadowsword (AR/Dev Marinemayhem, 50)
3. @Gorbaz (E-0014)
4. @GoldenCrusader (Scrapper, 50)

((Article would be in many major newspapers worldwide))

US Army to Police the Multiverse

A new division of the United States Army has been formed, collaborating with Portal Corps to monitor and police the parallel universes while keeping the peace here at home. The official nae given to the special unit mirrors their responsibilities; Rapid Assault, Protection, Investigation, Evacuation and Rescue, known in short as R.A.P.I.E.R, doubly meaning a sharp sword. The government has given the team highest authority and clearance to operate on a planetary and intergalactic scale, acting as peacekeepers across the known universes. Powered civilians as well as trained soldiers form the shell of the group while higher ranking military officials form the core. Known members are so far, Colonel Cypher, Bullet Man, Retcon, Vanguard Agent Star-Tyger, Commander Omega Prime, Psi-Unit, 777, Pyro Raven, CPT Angel Maren, Emily One, Silver-Fox, Commander Beet and two characters from an alternate dimension, Commander Pious Hunter and Lieutenant Damsel Grey, the former a parallel creation of our late Reverend Hunter, the Priest.

((Article would be in many major newspapers, worldwide))

Death of the Priest

Reverend Pious Hunter, a legendary hero to us all, a world saviour and even a deity to some, was killed a few weeks ago on an otherworldly mission for Portal Corps. Paragon City’s patrol team The Militia where with him when he died. He is survived by his disciples across the world, and of course, the people of Paragon City.

In a collaboration of efforts, the FBI, the Militia and Portal Corps have deduced the cause of death. Doctor Montgomery of Portal Corps shares his reports, “Reverend Hunter was murdered by the Un-banished Pantheons of Earth 52, following the Militia’s defeat of their Adamanstor, the Priest was hit by an energy attack that eradicated him on a cellular level. His team-mates would not have understood what was happening, as the attack was magical and completely undetectable. Now we have reason to believe the strike was an organised assassination, as only the Reverend was hit, but also because the level of power required to conjure such a destructive blast would have taken the collective and pre-meditated efforts of several supernatural spirits. The Catholic Church revealed to the FBI, and we can now air this, that the Priest was actually a troubled soul, victimised by the Devil and his demons on a daily basis, so it was natural to assume the Devil has finally succeeded. The FBI have stated that there will be no further investigations into the assassination”

In the wake of this tragic event, Paragon City is left to mourn the loss of yet another iconic hero. It was only months ago that the Battling Britanic was killed in an unexplained explosion at his home. In this time of sadness, we can only look skywards and hope for the colours of new and aspiring heroes, suitable to wear the mantles of our lost saviours.

EM for the win! Including you, that'd total five soldiers with Energy Melee.

I use Fraps to record the demofile playbacks, I suppose I aught to just Fraps the fights themselves, will do that from now on. Obsidian v Infinitron, Jess v Glare and Infinitron v Pyro have sadly, been lost to demofile corruption, somehow. To avoid future coc-ups like this, I'll just Fraps the fights. But if anyone does know other Demo Play programmes, I'd like to try and salvage the damaged demo files. Thanks.

Cool, I'll be online tonight to send invites. Membership is still OOC, the unit should launch ICly this weekend. Glad you guys are interested, what levels are your characters? Lined up so far, are:

1. Pious G (Peacebringer, 24)
2. Silver-Fox (Peacebringer, 24)
3. Star-Tyger (Peacebringer, 12)
4. Damsel A (AR Blaster, 34)
5. 777 (AR Blaster, 12)
6. @Fanservice (AR Blaster)
7. @Shadower (AR Blaster)
8.
9.
0.

"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome to the Cage!" cried the host referee, the acoustics in the arena booming his voice throughout the Pocket D nightclub. The audience rose to their feet and cheered with crazed excitement. The usual crowd in DJ Zero's nightclub fight arena had in fact doubled for this event. Where they usually stood and cheered, there were hundreds of seats, drinks and snacks. Television cameras were stationed around the arena, which had been enlarged and upgraded with Wayne Industries' hi-tech neural-simulation virtual reality programme. The fighters would be battling in a virtual terrain, as real as their senses can make it. The night was buzzing with activity, the surrounding spectators were drunk with excitement, anticipation and alcohol. The guest referee-commentator Mister Ace McKnight held his microphone tightly in his hands and prepared to announce today's fighters.

"This is the fight you've all been waiting for, the opening night of this year's Pocket D Charity Tournament. For those of you who aren't aware of the rules, its simple. Two teams of gladiators go at it, head to head in non-lethal battle, for your entertainment. The winning team, or individual has the choice to move up in the tournament and &100,000 donated to a charity organisation of their choosing. The visual feed inside the arena is very hi-tech, so we can capture all the super-powered action, also, these fighters often have personal agendas so we've planted some hi-tech acoustics to eavesdrop on the spoken drama. Remember guys, this is being aired all over the Upsilon Dimensions, especially Paragon City, America. Kids will be watching, so edit your language." The guest referee sends a cheeky wink into the cameras, before concluding his speech. "Now, without further ado, let us meet... tonight's GLADIATORS!" A house-shaking roar rumbled from the audiences as they screamed and cheered for their favourite fighters. Soundtrack music filled the arena, ushering in the celebrated guest fighters. "SWORD OF REDEMPTION versus BATTLE UNIT OMEGA!"

Good news Mechano, your fight with BUO and the follow-up interview was successfully recorded and the files were not corrupted. Bad news is, three out of six fight demo-files are corrupted and the City of Heroes Demo Player won't read them. This mean's only a few fights will make video, unless I can find a new Demo Player programme, anyone know of any, please?

This is a good idea, gives me appropriate music to record onto the fight videos too.

RAPIER: Preliminary Team Profile

Rapid Assault, Protection, Investigation, Evacuation and Rescue, absolute genius. Pointless and I have formed the supergroup last night and the base is already underway. Hates, the team isn't limited by AT, so bring any background. Should have a wiki profile up later.

I'll be there, fingers crossed I don't have one of my disconnections!

National Guard already exists, these soldiers would likely be working with them as well as the Army.

Unexpectedly, my main internet is being a problem. Have to reschedule to tomorrow 9pm.

If you and I can hammer out ours ideas via private messages then we'll put out a firm supergroup profile for others to join, what say you?

What a coincidence, I was just designing such a team. Maybe this can work out Pointless, if we all join heads.

I'm currently editing the videos of last weekend's fights and boy am I excited, can't wait to have them on YouTube, you guys are gonna love the action! Even got a surprise clip from one of Coile's fights last year, and man its sizzling hot. We'll be up again this weekend, Saturday and Sunday night. Got a few people coming already, anyone else interested, just show up and err, try not to disconnect, heh.

I still think the website is fine as it is. It is a simple job that we use it for; to file, read, update and publish our characters, supergroups, etc, and its doing that perfect. The outside links to the Virtue Universe and Paragon Wiki do just fine, so in my opinion, there is no need for an internal merge. However, the spell-checking, spam-deleting bots sound like a nice addition. I'm willing to discuss this idea in greater detail with the VV admin.

Onto more local matters, Zortel agrees with me that changing the system for our character-spotlighting Main Page to a request-based update, rather than random selections, would in fact, allow those wanting center-stage to get it directly, correct? Do *you* want to be on the front page? Thoughts please. (11934)